Your First Look at Hotel Granduca’s Dramatic Transformation — Houston’s Beloved European Staple Gets a Multi-Million Dollar Facelift

When Hotel Granduca opened in Uptown Park in 2006, respected developer Giorgio Borlenghi and his wife Cathy brought to Houston a taste of European grandeur unmatched in Houston if not the state. His sister Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield created the posh interiors that echoed the elegance of their native Italy. But after almost a quarter century, the grand dame needed a fluff. Along with the facelift came new owners dedicated to maintaining the much heralded ambience.

The curtain has risen on the multi-million dollar updating with official opening ceremonies set for early April. Under direction of interior designer and Borlenghi close friend Kara Childress, the Hotel Granduca of today embraces its Italian heritage while giving homage to its Texas turf. Transwestern Hospitality Group (THG), a subsidiary of privately held Transwestern, obtained controlling interest in the property last year and at the time Childress assured: “You’re going to feel Giorgio’s presence in a major way.”

With Childress and Thomas Duncan, THG managing partner, escorting PaperCity through the re-envisioned decor we found it quite different yet reminiscent of the original Hotel Granduca.

“I think it’s a privilege to come into a place like this and have this opportunity and just do it right,” Duncan says. “And we think we’ve accomplished that.”

The beautiful bones of the all-suite hotel served as a canvas for the designer and THG as they went about transforming the lobby, adding a spacious library, redesigning the bar, creating a new restaurant, and refreshing the patio and pool area. Throughout, one gets the sense of European history blending with Texas flare.

“I wanted this to feel like you’re walking into an old villa or an old monastery that has been converted. It’s boutique. It feels very European but yet it needs to feel like home,” Childress notes.

The Old World elements employed include reclaimed French flooring and rustic overhead beams, antique Italian tiles, and textured plaster walls. Childress has even provided some of her own antique furnishings to add authenticity to the setting.

Transformation of the lobby is intense with light flooding in from glass doors at both the hotel entry and at doors leading to the terrace. The c central design element here is the classic tête-à-tête, covered in striking Scalamandré tiger-patterned velvet. A massive black-and-white photo taken in Amalfi by photographer David Yarrow radiates a dolce vita vibe across the open lobby. Images from his Texas collection in other areas of the hotel add that Lone Star touch.

The library was designed to serve as the reimagined Hotel Granduca’s living room with guests and their laptops welcome. Community is a common refrain from both Childress and Duncan in discussing the renovation. Their goal centered around preserving the community-like feel that has made the hotel popular with not only guests of several days but also for those making longterm stays. Some even call this Houston hotel home. Kids are welcome. Pets are welcome.

“I encourage anybody to come and feel welcome to open their laptop do some work whether they buy a cup of coffee or not,” Duncan says. “We want it to be a gathering place that is comfortable that feels like a home. It doesn’t feel like a hotel.”

Indeed, the deep blue walls and ceiling, the stained reclaimed wood flooring accented with Persian rugs, the brass and bronze reading lamps, loaded bookshelves, and a curated art collection combine to create an elevated home-like feel. Here you can have a coffee, a drink from the bar, or a full meal from Hotel Granduca’s new menu.

Ristorante Alba is closed with diners now able to sample the full-service menu in Bar Remi as well as the new Remi restaurant. The cozy eatery extends into a greenhouse extension overlooking the patio and pool area, which is now masked behind thick hedges. Remi is led by Episcope Hospitality and David Morton of the Morton Steakhouse legacy with the cuisine in the hands of beloved Italian executive chef Maurizio Ferrarese.

How many evenings have we and other Houstonians passed the hours on the Granduca garden courtyard where we were instantly transported to Italy. That ambience has been intensified with an 18th century Tuscan horse trough that has been repurposed as a wonderfully gurgling fountain. Childress boasts that this will be the finest terrace in Houston with pea gravel surrounds as another nod to the hotel’s European heritage.

The gym has been relocated and expanded. Meeting rooms also underwent a sophisticated facelift resulting in glamorous settings more reminiscent of a sophisticated residential dining room.

In honor of the transformation, Hotel Granduca is offering a grand opening special for stays now through April 30. Anyone who books by March 31 will get a $100 food and beverage credit to use at Remi, complementary daily breakfast for two, a special welcome amenity, early check-in and late checkout, and a free room upgrade based on availability.